The coalition is accelerating efforts to pass a series of key legislative proposals before the current Knesset completes its term later this month, reflecting growing pressure to enact major policy changes before lawmakers leave for the election recess.
Constitution Committee Chairman Simcha Rothman announced Saturday that Sunday's debate on a bill to split the powers of the attorney general would focus on carving out a smaller portion of the broader proposal — about 500 clauses — so that at least part of the legislation can advance more quickly.
Gallery
Shas leader Aryeh Deri and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset plenum
(Photo: Knesset)
Rothman said the first stage would include provisions already discussed in committee concerning the legal status of the attorney general's opinions, government legal representation and oversight of the office.
The move comes as the coalition faces a tight legislative timetable. The Knesset has two weeks remaining before completing its full four-year term. Parliamentary legal adviser Sagit Afik told the Knesset Presidium that if elections are held as scheduled on Oct. 27, there is no legal requirement to pass a bill dissolving parliament. Under Israeli law, the Knesset must enter a 100-day recess before election day, making July 17 the final day of the current term.
With little time remaining, the coalition is attempting to push through a package of legislation, including measures that were reportedly part of an agreement between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners, as well as other flagship bills.
Coalition leaders are expected to reduce plenary sessions this week to allow parliamentary committees more time to finalize legislation before bringing multiple bills for final votes next week.
Among the measures expected to advance is a proposed Basic Law declaring Torah study to be a foundational value of the State of Israel. The Knesset's Constitution Committee is expected to hold additional discussions on the bill before sending it for final approval.
Ultra-Orthodox lawmakers Yitzhak Goldknopf and Moshe Gafni
(Photo: Knesset)
The proposal is intended to establish Torah study as a constitutional principle that could be weighed against the principle of equality, which Israeli courts have derived from the Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty. Ultra-Orthodox parties hope the measure would strengthen the legal foundation for future legislation exempting yeshiva students from mandatory military service by allowing lawmakers to argue that such exemptions serve another protected constitutional value.
Meanwhile, the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee is expected to continue advancing legislation that would temporarily suspend criminal proceedings and arrest warrants against yeshiva students who have ignored military draft orders while broader legislation on military exemptions is debated.
Opposition lawmakers have asked committee chairman Boaz Bismuth of Netanyahu's Likud party to postpone a vote scheduled for Tuesday, arguing that the proposal is being rushed through parliament as a "new subject" added to unrelated legislation without adequate debate.
In a letter, opposition members said legislation with such far-reaching consequences "cannot and must not be advanced hastily and without a proper deliberative process." They argued the move would undermine both the committee and the Knesset itself.
The coalition is also seeking to repeal a kosher certification reform introduced by former religious services minister Matan Kahana. The reform would have reduced the Chief Rabbinate's direct monopoly over kosher certification by turning it into a supervisory body and opening the certification market to greater competition.
Also on the coalition's agenda is Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi's media reform bill, which is moving through parliamentary committees ahead of second and third readings, as well as legislation to establish a political commission of inquiry into Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. That proposal is expected to be brought for a preliminary vote before the Knesset's term ends, subject to the support of the ultra-Orthodox parties.